Merit, Opportunity, and the Future of Higher Education

Meritocracy entails that inequality is morally justified when people are rewarded according to their talents and the effort they exert. Within the “meritocratic myth,” as it is often called, universities play a key role. They are the epitome of equal opportunities, supposedly admitting people according to their merit alone and providing them with the opportunities to gain skills and connections that will help them assume leadership roles in society. In higher education, as in the meritocracy more widely, anyone with talent who works hard enough can rise to the very top. This chapter presents the recent criticism voiced against the meritocracy and higher education’s role in it and also presents some possible directions for reforming higher education.